I was talking with my brother today who has landed a new legal contract job but is having to do all the back ground checks himself. These days when you are employed in his profession and would guess other professions as well companies do a back ground check making sure who they have employed is what they say they are with regard to qualifications.
He is a solicitor in the UK having completed his Solicitors Qualifying Examination course many years ago which being a lawyer from another country allows you to practice law in the UK. He has worked for many companies on a contractual basis over the years specializing more in the financial sector.
The company who has offered him employment uses a third party company to do the back ground checks and the job is not official until those have been completed. The crazy part is he is doing all the back ground gathering information work and this company has done zero work yet they get paid for this function. Sounds very familiar with more service related companies earning money when companies used to do this function internally themselves.
This is highly frustrating as firstly to become a solicitor in the UK having been a lawyer in another country in this case South Africa you have to do the conversion exam. He has to prove he is a solicitor even though he has been one for over 20 years in the UK and the company he did the exam with keeps his records on file except this time around they only keep records for so many years before there is no record. His reference number he was given at the time and has always used no longer corresponds to any information. From what I understand he explained this and this has eventually been accepted. How could he have worked as a solicitor for all the other companies if he had not qualified?
The other part this company tried to do but did not understand the process was in SA when you become a lawyer an advocate has to get you certified by the High Court in SA. They were trying to contact the High Court and would have got nowhere as you have to go back to the advocate or law firm. The back ground checking company is getting paid for services that they have no knowledge of what is entailed.
So far the process has taken 3 weeks and my brother is waiting on the "what next" as this incompetent company is having to be guided and furnished at every step. The other part was his last job was with Black Rock and this company wanted proof he worked there. They emailed Black Rock who did not even respond. My brother eventually furnished them with pay slips as the contract is digital and Black Rock keep it online. He eventually contacted Black Rock himself and got the relevant information required, but he should not be the one doing this.
You do wonder how do these companies even exist as they put the pressure on the person seeking employment to do all the work and yet they are supplying that information as work they have done themselves which is unprofessional and fraudulent. I am not shocked easily these days and just glad I am self employed not having to deal with such incompetence because this would drive me nuts.
